80s group Expos? returns

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, you couldn't step inside a dance club without hearing the tunes of Expos?. An infectious combination of pure pop, diva-style dance and the hip-shaking rhythms of Miami freestyle, Expos? unleashed a series of eight Top 10 Billboard hits during the height of their commercial success, and the best of the best - "Point of No Return," "Come Go With Me," "Let Me Be the One" and the #1 ballad "Seasons Change," to name a few - emerged as classic songs that still get play on radio airwaves.

But for a while, the three powerful vocalists who comprise Expos? - Jeanette Jurado, Ann Curless and openly bisexual Gioia Bruno - had remained quiet. It wasn't always by choice: in 1990, Bruno was tragically forced to leave the group when a mysterious, inexplicable tumor developed on her vocal chords and robbed her of the ability to sing, and even speak, for years. Though singer Kelly Moneymaker stepped in to fill out a new trio, and despite the success of the group's subsequent third album (self-titled Expos?), it wasn't long before the act disbanded for what would essentially become a decade-long hiatus.

Fear not, fans. With its original members finally reunited, Expos? is bringing all those favorite hits back for another spin on the dance floor. They've spent the last few years touring together again, and New England will get a double dose of the divas during March shows at gay club Chez Est (458 Wethersfield Ave., Hartford, Conn.) and Boston-area Rain (665 Broadway, Malden).

Bay Windows spoke with each legendary woman of Expos? to get the real deal on the past, present, and future of one of pop music's most successful girl groups.

Ann Curless and Gioia Bruno sound like sisters. Well, not exactly.

Curless has a steady, measured -- dare we say, demure? -- telephone voice. Bruno, meanwhile, fires one-liners like a Tommy gun with an energy that bursts through the line. But however different their intonation, their rapport shows a chemistry that can only come from the sisterhood of the music industry. They swap stories, they overlap their remarks, and they're not afraid to talk about each other's breast-feeding habits, either.

Hmm, this could be more exposure than we bargained for.

BAY WINDOWS: As the song says, "Seasons Change." Now that you're finally reunited, how has the dynamic of the group changed since you first started performing together over 20 years ago?

ANN: The perspective is very different. I think we're a lot calmer now than we were before. I say that because we are three women, and there were instances where we butt heads in the past. Although frankly, we still do! This is a business, and we all have different ways we want to run that business. But we've matured, and aged.

GIOIA: [Interrupting] Hey now! Hey, hey!

ANN: [Laughs] But [now] we're having fun! I think there's perspective. We're enjoying being on stage, bringing a lot of joy to people. I think we're a little less self-involved. Ooh, there's a word!

GIOIA: It's not about who's singing what. ... We [also] just talk to each other instead of going through attorneys. Whatever the conflicts we had in the '80s, it all went through a manager, to an attorney, to a production company, back to the management and everyone found out about it through the family tree.

BW: Besides your individual talents, do you feel like each of you brings something unique to the group simply in terms of your personalities?

ANN: It's interesting you should say that. On one of our conference calls I just talked about this, and thing is, just as with any business we are a three-legged stool ... and the stool can't stand unless it has all those legs. For example, I'm more on the business side: the liaison between us and the accounting, holding the group together, making sure we're taking dates that make sense and working on travel arrangements. Jeanette is a very creative person, she's great with arrangements and we work with a live band, so she rehearses them with a real vision. And Gioia brings things to life with a number of contacts, because she's continued to be in the industry singing when Jeanette and I started our families. So she brings the contacts and people perspective. She's constantly networking. We all need each other!

BW: Tell me about the decision to reunite. Were you gung-ho from the beginning? Hesitant?

GIOIA: I think at some point everyone wanted it. This particular time, Jeanette brought it to our attention and said, "Let's try this out again." Well, I wasn't doing anything else that needed all of my attention, but I think I kind of dribbled in. Now, I'm like "Let's go! Team spirit!" [Laughs] ... When we get on stage, there's a particular chemistry that's still there. Maybe it's even better than it was in the '80s.

ANN: I think it's better.

GIOIA: We've all grown up, lived our lives, we all have kids and we've gone through all the pain and joys of life.

BW: What about you, Ann? What was your reaction to a reunion?

ANN: I was very excited about it. Jeanette met some people who recommended that she speak with us [about reuniting]. At first my thoughts were, "Are you serious? Do you think that there's a market for us?" It was very flattering. ... Before you knew it we had booked our first show in Miami and we were doing dance moves together right before the show.

GIOIA: I was in shock, because Ann was breastfeeding her daughter!

ANN: Oh my God. That's right! Gee, thanks! That was my first thought: "But I'm too fat!" [Laughs] I started my family very late in life, which I hope is an inspiration to some women out there. I had my last child at 42, so I brought her to Miami and I was talking some time off between rehearsals.

BW: Do either of you have songs that are particular favorites to perform live?

GIOIA: Ultimately, I'm a Gemini so it's a different song every night. Maybe "Let Me Be the One." But also the song Ann sings, "Angel." Oh, and the other ballad Ann sings...

ANN: ... "As Long as I Can Dream."

GIOIA: Right. I really enjoy the third album because I wasn't on it! [Laughs]. I got to learn the background vocals and sing these cool songs that were all new to me. What was old to them was new to me. Kelly [Moneymaker] came in and she made some recordings of her parts so that I could learn them.

ANN: I've always enjoyed when we perform "Let Me Be the One," because Gioia has such a wonderful vocal...

GIOIA: [Interrupting] Aww!

ANN: ... and I just like the groove of the song. It also makes me feel like a sex kitten, which I don't necessarily think I am!

GIOIA: Oh my God. I saw these pictures of during "Let Me Be the One." You're so funny! I never really get to watch you [live], but you had the biggest smile on your face!

BW: Well, my favorite song has always been "What You Don't Know." So I have to ask... what's something your fans might not know about Expos??

GIOIA: We're not your girls next door. We're bad girls!

ANN: Oh, that's a hard question.

GIOIA:We're a lot humbler than people might imagine.

ANN: We're not pretending to have fun. We really have a lot of fun on stage, and we're proud of the fact that we sing our own vocals live. I know there was a time of backlash in the late '80s with groups lip synching, but we take ourselves fairly seriously as artists and singers.

BW: Last question! You've always enjoyed tons of support in the gay community. Why do you think that is?

GIOIA: Most of the fans we had back in the '80s were gay, they just didn't realize they were gay! I went back to some of those people in the '90s and said, "You're gay, and I knew you were gay from the start. Why didn't you just tell me!" We have some fans who have been following us for 25 years. I never realized how devout they were. It's monumental, and it's kept me moving. In my life, I probably have 3 or 4 straight friends, and that includes my mom. [Laughs]. ... I once asked a friend, "What is this, a gay gene? With the Madonna and the Cher?" I thought he was going to bitchslap me, but he just said, "You're absolutely right, it's a gene. But we just happen to know good music." That was great.

ANN: The funny thing is, we have not only have gay and straight fans, we have older and younger fans. We meet fans in their 20s, and I'm like, "I could be your mother!" [Laughs]. But they say, "Well, my parents grew up with your music and I used to listen to it." It's so cool.

JEANETTE

As a mom and a musician, Jeanette Jurado knows how to plan a party.

When she first calls for an interview, Jeanette is quick to apologize that her son's weekend birthday kept her from getting in touch sooner. But then she excitedly shifts gears to talk about another event she orchestrated: the reunion of Expos?. Though each of the girls had expressed interest at some point over the years, it was Jeanette's latest attempt that finally stuck and brought the trio together again. As we chat, Jeanette is irrepressibly pleasant and all laughs -- a little shocking for a woman who admits to occasional "diva" tendencies. Luckily, this pop queen was a benevolent ruler during our conversation, exposing some of the hilarious secrets from the tour bus, the backstage dressing rooms, and even one friend who had a hard time coming out of the closet ... and not in the way you think!

BW: So Jeanette, how does being in Expos? now compare to your days together back in the '80s?

JEANETTE: It's much greater these days! Back then, we were young and in our own little world. These days we're much more involved in each thing that we're running. Although... it was easier to have things done for us! Ann sent me a birthday card once that said, "Now that we're old and wise, don't you ever wish we were young and stupid?" Sometimes, yes I do! [Laughs]. But at the same time, it's very empowering now that this machine is running based not only on our singing ability, but our business minds. I'm much more proud of Expos? these days.

BW: You all hit the big time like a speeding bullet back then, and all you have to do is look at the tabloids to see what can happen when young pop stars get famous, fast. What was that experience like for all of you?

JEANETTE: I don't know if you can call us well-adjusted [Laughs], but the fact is that all of us had to deal with each other. If one of us was getting out of line, the other two will quickly get them back in place. I remember, we had this necklace -- I don't remember how we got it -- a gold necklace with a charm on it in the shape of a witch. Whenever one of us was getting out of line, the other two would present that member with the witch necklace and we'd have to wear it until it went to someone else. It was a nice way of saying, "You need to chill out!" Sometimes we'd just leave it on the dressing room table so when you came back you'd find it. So you know, I think we kept each other in line.

BW: Tell me about contacting the other girls for a reunion.

JEANETTE: I'm the last one ever thought I'd be doing it! [Laughs]. I had a friend I was working with that year who said, "You need to get the group back together." That everyone truly missed the music. The notion to me was that no one would really be interested. Why even do it? ... But I just said, I'm going to throw it out there and see if it's taken seriously. Right away we got offers from a booking agency. I thought, "Oh my gosh, people still want to hear us!" ... The first time we performed again was in Miami, which was sort of our home [starting out]. We walked out on stage and it was the best feeling. I can't even tell you. It was hard to sing, I felt like crying. It was so amazing to hear Gioia on the side of me, especially, because she wasn't around for a long time. Until that moment, I didn't realize exactly how much I missed this.

BW: Any songs that hold a special place for you, when it comes to performing them live?

JEANETTE: When Ann sings lead. I love singing background. Isn't that funny? "As Long as I Can Dream" is probably one of the most difficult songs vocally, and I love it. I love to sit back and watch someone else have to do all the work! I like to concentrate on the blend, and Ann happens to sing the songs I like [for that].

BW: Well, my favorite song has always been "What You Don't Know." So I have to ask... what's something your fans might not know about Expos??

JEANETTE: Phew. At the time, there were a lot of things we would have liked to know about each other! [Laughs]. We were on the road for the What You Don't Know Tour, and we were all doing crazy stuff we didn't know about each other. It was like a sitcom, I swear it. I swear, there was one time when Ann came into my room and I hid someone in the closet. And then she wouldn't leave! So funny, it was like a sitcom. Hysterical.

BW: Too funny!

JEANETTE: So funny, it was like a sitcom. ... But I also hope they [fans] know that this group is based on three strong vocalists. Ann is a brilliant singer and I don't know if people know because they don't hear her as much. Gioia has an amazing voice but is also a businessperson. It's hysterical, she hasn't aged in looks or thinking. She's still partying until the sun comes up and Ann and I cannot keep up!

BW: Oh, I've met Gioia, and I could imagine!

JEANETTE: You know, that's just Gioia. She comes round carrying a disco ball and hangs it in her hotel room. Once she had a gym bag or a soccer bag, and I'm like, "You are not carrying a disco ball." And then she goes and hangs it up.

BW: And what do we not know about you?

JEANETTE: Well, I'm stubborn. [Laughs] I'm really stubborn. I think everyone always thinks ... well, they called me sweet, which I am. But I'm really stubborn. I think I've been really voted the diva in the group.

BW: You so don't seem it now!

JEANETTE: Well, if it has to be done... [Laughs]

BW: Last question. You've always enjoyed tons of support in the gay community. Why do you think that is?

JEANETTE: One reason for that is that if you go to a gay club it's all about having a good time. We go out and give everyone a good time. I also think... we talk to a lot of our fans after every show and when we do Gay Pride and clubs, so many audience members come up and say, "I love your music. It was so important when I was figuring out who I was at the time." I think during the time our music was out a lot of people were coming out. ... Our music was part of people being truthful about themselves, and I'm glad we had a little part of that. It's like they say, music is the soundtrack to your life... and you pick the songs that take you back.

Expos? will perform on Friday, Mar. 20 at Chez Est, 458 Wethersfield Ave., Hartford Conn.) and Saturday, Mar. 21 at Rain (665 Broadway, Malden, Mass).
For more info on Expos?, visit exposeonline.net.